MODI’S POLICY TOWARDS CHINA MEEK: CONG LEADER KHARGE 14 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman AMIT SHAH HOLDS MEGA ROAD SHOW IN KANNIYAKUMARI PAGE 5 IN-FORM KKR LOOK TO EXTRACT MOST OUT OF HOME LEG GAMES PAGE 4 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 16 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy sky.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 37°C and 27°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 85% TEMPERATURE Max: 35.2°C (-1) SUN RISES 05:18 hrs MOON RISES 08:43 hrs Can the BJP even get 200 seats, asks CM Mamata Banerjee slams BJP for constantly maligning Bengal’s image Min. 31% Min: 26.5°C (+1) SUN SETS 17:56 hrs MOON SETS 22:59 hrs Full Moon on 24 April THUMBNAILS Artists paint on the road on the eve of Paila Baisakh in Kolkata on Saturday.  MOUL MONDAL Jagan injured in stone pelting: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured in a suspected stone attack by an unidentified person during an election campaign in Vijayawada on Saturday. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Chief sustained an injury on his left eyebrow after being hit by a stone. Doctors immediately provided first aid to him. As part of ‘Memantha Siddham Yatra’, the Chief Minister was standing on a special campaign bus to greet people when he was hit by a stone thrown by an unidentified person. STATESMAN NEWS SERVCE SILIGURI, 13 APRIL hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wondered whether the BJP will get even 200 seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, let alone the 400 targeted by the ruling NDA. Taking a swipe at the BJP's slogan of ‘Ee Baar Charsho Paar’ (This time over 400 seats), raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Miss Banerjee today said: “BJP has claimed it will get over 400 seats out of 543. In 2021 it had claimed over 200 seats in Bengal but finally managed just 70. Show your power to obtain 200 seats.” Miss Banerjee also asked: “What is the purpose behind holding elections over three months? Who is the mastermind behind it?” Addressing a public meeting at Jabravita in Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seat near Siliguri, the Trinamul Congress chairperson said: “We don’t have any relationship with the Congress, CPI-M and the BJP Please . vote for TMC only in Bengal. We will form the gov- C ernment at the Centre. I will talk to the INDIA alliance in Delhi after the results. Bengal will show the way.” “Give me as many more seats as possible. It is required for bargaining funds from the Centre. The Centre is not giving funds. I beg your help. Your Lakshmi Bhandar scheme will continue forever,” she added. Miss Banerjee also branded the BJP as a great liar for constantly maligning Bengal’s image. Without naming the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, Miss Banerjee said: “A critic in the BJP has been damaging the prestige of Bengal. He has branded Bengal as a safe haven for militants. There should be a limit to lying. They are great liars. Bengal is going in the right direction. BJP leaders are notorious thieves and commit crimes while managing ED and CBI.” Miss Banerjee has asked the public to oppose the Uniform Civil Code, a priority SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea against arrest on Monday PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The Supreme Court will on Monday (15 April) hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and his subsequent remand in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta will hear Kejriwal’s appeal against the Delhi High Court's 9 April order rejecting his plea against arrest and subsequent remand. Soon after approaching the Supreme Court on 10 April 2024 to challenge the Delhi High Court's 9 April order upholding his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand, Mr Kejriwal's counsel mentioned the matter for an urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. CJI Chandrachud, heading the bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, said, “We will see, we will look into it.” BJP to release its manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ on Sunday STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The BJP will release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday at the party headquarters here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The party's manifesto, known as the ‘Sankalp Patra’, will be launched in the presence of PM Narendra Modi on 14 April,” a party official said on Saturday evening. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda will also be present during the launch of the manifesto, the party sources said. According to the party sources, the BJP's manifesto will focus on development, a prosperous India, women, youth, the poor, and farmers. The party pledges to fulfil only those promises that are achievable. The theme of the manifesto will be "Modi's Guarantee: Developed India 2047," with a focus on cultural nationalism. The BJP formed the Election Manifesto Committee, comprising 27 members. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was appointed as the chairman of this panel. Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as the convenor, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal was made the coconvenor. Apart from them, 24 people were included in this committee as members. The manifesto committee, chaired by the Defence Minister, has already held two meetings. agenda item for the BJP and the NDA. “Many religions have many systems. BJP will abolish the identity of your religion by implementing UCC,” she said. The Chief Minister today left for Kolkata after the meeting, but she is scheduled to return to attend a cultural programme at Chalsa in Jalpaiguri around 3.30 pm tomorrow. On 15 April, she would start the third round of election campaigning from Cooch Behar town and then in Birpara in Alipurduar. On 16 April, she would address a public meeting at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri and will stage a march at Hill Cart Road in Siliguri around 2 p.m. to protest against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), NRC (National Register of Citizens) and UCC. The CM will leave for Silchar in Assam on 17 April from Bagdogra and will return in the evening. She will visit North and South Dinajpur on 18 April. She will be in Malda on 19 April, and monitor the first phase of the Lok Sabha in northern North Bengal to be held on that day from there. Iran’s navy seizes Israel-linked vessel near Strait of Hormuz; a majority of the crew are Indian AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday amidst escalating tensions with Israel. Of the 25 crew members aboard, 17 are reported to be Indian, and government sources in New Delhi were quoted as saying India was in touch with Iran to ensure their security and welfare. “We are aware that a cargo ship MSC Aries has been taken control by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Teheran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals,” the sources were quoted as saying. The ship in question was the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by Zodiac Maritime, based in London. Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Commandos from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard rappelled down a helicopter This image made from a video provided to the Associated Press by a Mideast defense official shows a helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.  AP onto the container ship and seized the vessel on Saturday. Iran’s state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy carried out the attack on the vessel. The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is currently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking site, Marine Traffic. "A container ship named MCS Aries was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," the IRNA agency reported. The operation, it said, was carried out "near the Strait of Hormuz" - between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman - which is vital to world trade, and "this ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters" of Iran. Tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel after an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syrian capital Damascus, that killed at least 12 people, including some senior Iranian generals. It also came against the backdrop of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, which has already heightened tensions region-wide.